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Illinois Budget Crisis Strikes at Heart of MPC Issues
The precarious position of the state and many municipal budgets poses a major
threat to MPC’s core issues. Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s solutions to Illinois’
budget crisis could do serious, long-term harm to recent progress in expanding
housing options, protecting the environment, and untangling traffic congestion.
Earlier this month, the governor cut the budget of the Illinois Low Income
Housing Trust Fund, which helps meet the housing needs of the more than 500,000
households lacking affordable housing statewide. This followed the announcement
in February of a one-year “holiday” in funding for the Open Space Lands
Acquisition and Development and Natural Areas Acquisition funds, which could
result in the permanent loss of funding for both open land acquisition and for
biologists and natural areas managers to protect Illinois’ natural areas and
wildlife habitats. And, the governor has proposed expanding the motor fuel tax
to non-highway users such as railroads. This would place a significant financial
burden on the freight industry, which provides more than 117,000 northeastern
Illinois jobs, and would jeopardize the progress made in untangling freight
movement in the region.
“The painful cuts to these key programs should make it obvious that the time
has come for broad fiscal reform,” said MPC Vice President of Policy and
Planning Scott Goldstein. “And those reforms should start with adequately
funding education.”
Contact: Scott Goldstein, Vice President of
Policy and Planning, at 312.863.6003
MPC Urges Enactment of Transportation and Land Use Reforms
Citing a range of benefits from better suburban representation in regional
decision-making to more transparent and efficient government, the Metropolitan
Planning Council enthusiastically supported the direction of resolutions adopted
by the Northeastern Illinois Regional Transportation Task Force, while
recognizing the need to fine-tune proposals. The Council pledged to work with
legislators in the Illinois General Assembly to gather the support to make them
law, targeted for the fall veto session.
The proposal to combine the Chicago Area Transportation Study and the
Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) into a single body with
authority over funding for transportation projects is the Council’s top
priority. “It presents an opportunity to finish the work begun 47 years ago when
NIPC was created,” commented MPC Board of Governors Member John Baird, chairman
of Baird & Warner, Inc., who also served as NIPC commissioner from 1961 to
1973, and president from 1966 to 1970. “Reforming the way our leaders make
regional transportation investments to ensure that they are balanced and
coordinated with a plan for growth would have far-ranging benefits for all
communities, city of Chicago and suburbs alike.”
Contact: Karyn Romano, Transportation
Director, 312.863.6005
Will County Parents and A+ Illinois Take Action for Education Funding Reform
Six Illinois state legislators representing Will county districts will gather
on Saturday, May 8, 2004 to hear local students, teachers, parents, homeowners,
and other residents discuss concerns about the quality of education in their
schools.
Senators Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete), Christine Radogno (R-Lemont), and Larry
Walsh (D-Elmwood, and Representatives Lisa Dugan (D-Kankakee), Renee Kosel
(R-New Lenox), and Careen Gordon (D-Coal City), will join members of A+ Illinois
for a community forum at Zion Lutheran Church in Tinley Park. MPC is a leading
member of A+ Illinois, a grassroots, statewide campaign to improve the quality
and funding of public education in Illinois, deliver lasting property tax
relief, and protect services for children, families, and communities. Other
campaign members represent a range of civic, education, children’s advocacy,
business, labor, civil rights, human service, and community groups.
The community forum, from 9 to 11 a.m., is free and open to media. Zion
Lutheran Church is located at 17100 S. 69th Ave., three blocks east of Harlem
Ave. on 171st St.
Contact: Bindu Batchu, A+ Illinois Campaign
Manager, 312.863.6014
What’s New
The following are available on the MPC Web site: